Across states, nations, and history, prosperity has been created by economic freedom. Economic growth and job creation, driven by free markets, has done more to lift the downtrodden out of poverty than any welfare program. Government’s role in the economy should be to set the rules, protect private property and individual rights, allow entrepreneurs to operate with limited government regulation, encourage personal philanthropy rather than wealth redistribution, and maintain rule of law and a level playing field. CF’s work on Jobs & the Economy examines the condition of Pennsylvania’s economy relative to other states and countries, the burdens on job creators, and the barriers to economic freedom and prosperity.

Say you’re working your way through college, supplementing student loans with a part-time job managing inventory at Wegmans. You make a decent hourly wage, but your health insurance benefits are key, saving you thousands per year in premium costs. Then, one Monday, your boss tells you part-timers are no longer eligible for benefits.